greg brown “44 & 66”
from: 44 & 66, 1980
“4’s a BMW; 66’s a Yamaha
44’s just like mother; 66 owns Omaha
44 & 66; 66 & 44
What a piston; what a bore
66 & 44
66’s a long old jet plane, goin’ to a folk festival
44’s a hot jazz player, yeah; and his belly’s never full
44 & 66; 66 & 44
You got to push what you can’t pull
66 & 44
66 is modern poetry; 44 is modern art
66 ain’t got no mystery; 44 ain’t got no heart
44 & 66; 66 & 44
Flick your Bic at the right door
66 & 44
66’s a brand new baby bouncin’ on his grandma’s knee
44’s a long old coffin, open arms for you and me
44 & 66; 66 & 44
Say goodbye and close the door
66 & 44
66 is Waylon Jennings, and he can’t find his cologne
44 is Nelson Eddy, and he’s crying on the telephone
44 & 66; 66 & 44
Outlaws don’t dig to be poor, no
66 & 44
66 is just a number; 44 is just a gig
66, apprentice plumber; 44 still wants to make it big
44 & 66; 66 & 44
Add ‘em up, you get some more
66 & 44
”
Greg Brown is among the top lyrical, live, tragi-comic performers I have witnessed. Though his renown proceeds him, he is one of those characters who instantly has you in the palm of his hand with his wit, wisdom, self- deprecation and wile. There are some people who, out in public, can put their finger squarely on the mysterious allure of our lives. It was Emerson who said: “In works of true genius we find our own rejected thoughts. They return to us with a certain alienated majesty.” That’s Greg Brown territory.
Look below to witness where he might have stole the hook for “44 & 66.”
